Just curious as to what people were using to make secure, remote connections to their Windows-based servers? The built-in Remote Desktop or a third-party application like Timbuktu or pcAnywhere.
Thanks!
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When ever ive been doing some server work, or working remotely. Ive always tended to move towards something like the Windows Remote Desktop Connection rather than RealVNC. RealVNC tends to lag a bit when opening menus and things like that, but Windows RDC doesn't lag.
there are a ton of solutions you could try. networkstreaming has a free trial for AccessDesk, which lets you connect to unattended remote pcs or servers. no portforwarding or firewall problems.
gotomypc could work. webex just put out a personal pc access tool - don't know if it connects with servers. 3amlabs has a few trials too. NetworkStreaming's access tool is for accessing multiple systems (10-1000). it's more robust than a personal pc access tool. if you want that, webex and gotomypc or logmein free.
Windows, Linux, Solaris and most other platforms now include a robust remote connection solution (usually Remote Desktop or VCN), so the days are numbered for pcAnywhere/NetOps and the like.
However there's growing demand for truly secure remote access using RDP and VNC - and there's a growing number of new secure solutions (SmartCode, WiSSH, WinSSH) available.
My company Opengear develops console servers - which historically enable administrators to remotely manage and reboot computers and network appliances through their text-based console ports.
However we have seen increasing demand for truly secure (i.e. authenticated/ encrypted/ out-of-band accessible) remote graphical connections - so we now include secure (SSH tunneled) RDP and VNC with all our console server products.
We use RDC to connect to our servers at work throuth Terminal Services. We never use pcAnywhere or VNC. Sometimes we use DameWare. We use LANDesk to connect from workstation to workstation. If we can not connect through LANDesk we use WEBEX. Webex is a little more complicated because there needs to be someone on the other end of the PC that you are trying to connect to.
No need to use Timbuktu or something you have to pay for when RDC is free ...and you can have at least one user connected to each server. If you find the need to have more than one user connected simultaneously, then I'd go with Terminal Services. My past experiences with Timbuktu have not been satisfactory.
It works great for pre-remote desktop computers on our lan...but you would need something totally different if you want to remote control across the internet like gotomypc, or logmeinfree.
RDP is fine You could use RDP nbecause it is alread6 builtin and you could connect to 4 different servers at the same time with the screen split in 4. If you want to make it more secure. You change the default communication port from 3389 to something else.
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Remote connecting to servers
Thanks!